---
title: "Critical Flaw in Rockwell ControlLogix Risks Industrial Systems Worldwide"
short_title: "Rockwell ControlLogix denial-of-service vulnerability"
description: "A high-severity flaw (CVE-2025-14027) in Rockwell Automation ControlLogix could cause denial-of-service attacks. Learn mitigation steps and affected systems."
author: "Vitus"
date: 2025-01-24
categories: [Cybersecurity, Vulnerabilities]
tags: [rockwell-automation, cve-2025-14027, industrial-control-systems, denial-of-service, memory-leak]
score: 0.78
cve_ids: [CVE-2025-14027]
---
TL;DR
A critical vulnerability (CVE-2025-14027) in Rockwell Automation’s ControlLogix redundancy modules could allow attackers to trigger denial-of-service (DoS) conditions, disrupting industrial operations. Affected systems include 1756-RM2 and 1756-RM2XT firmware versions. Rockwell recommends upgrading to 1756-RM3 or applying security best practices to mitigate risks.
---
Main Content
Critical Vulnerability Threatens Industrial Control Systems
Rockwell Automation’s ControlLogix, a cornerstone of industrial control systems (ICS) worldwide, has been found vulnerable to a high-severity flaw that could paralyze critical infrastructure. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-14027, affects the redundancy modules of ControlLogix systems, potentially allowing attackers to exploit memory management issues and cause denial-of-service (DoS) conditions. With deployment across sectors like energy, manufacturing, and water treatment, this flaw poses a significant risk to global industrial operations.
---
Key Points
- Vulnerability Impact: Exploitation could lead to unresponsive devices or major nonrecoverable faults, requiring manual restarts to restore functionality.
- Affected Systems: Rockwell Automation ControlLogix redundancy modules 1756-RM2 and 1756-RM2XT (all firmware versions).
- CVSS Score: 7.5 (High), indicating a severe risk due to low attack complexity and no authentication requirements.
- Mitigation: Upgrade to 1756-RM3 or implement security best practices like network segmentation and firewalls.
- Sectors at Risk: Chemical, energy, critical manufacturing, food and agriculture, transportation, and water/wastewater systems.
---
Technical Details
#### Vulnerability Overview
CVE-2025-14027 stems from a missing release of memory after its effective lifetime, a common programming oversight that can lead to resource exhaustion. Attackers can exploit this flaw by sending crafted Class 3 messages or triggering memory leak conditions, causing the device to become unresponsive. In severe cases, the module may suffer a major nonrecoverable fault, necessitating a physical restart.
#### Attack Vector
- Exploitation Method: Remote attackers can send malformed packets to the affected modules, exploiting the memory management flaw without requiring authentication.
- Vector String: `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`
- AV:N (Network): Exploitable remotely.
- AC:L (Low Complexity): No special conditions required.
- PR:N (No Privileges): No authentication needed.
- UI:N (No User Interaction): Exploitable without user action.
- A:H (High Availability Impact): Severe disruption to system availability.
#### Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Firmware Versions | Status |
|-----------------------|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|------------------|
| Rockwell Automation | ControlLogix Redundancy Enhanced Module (1756-RM2) | All versions | Known Affected |
| Rockwell Automation | ControlLogix Redundancy Enhanced Module (1756-RM2XT) | All versions | Known Affected |
---
Impact Assessment
#### Industrial Risks
The vulnerability exposes critical infrastructure sectors to operational disruptions. A successful DoS attack could halt production lines, disable safety systems, or disrupt utility services, leading to financial losses, safety hazards, and supply chain delays. Given the widespread deployment of Rockwell Automation systems, the potential for cascading effects across industries is significant.
#### Geographical Exposure
Affected systems are deployed worldwide, with concentrations in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Organizations in chemical, energy, and manufacturing sectors are particularly vulnerable due to their reliance on uninterrupted industrial processes.
---
Mitigation Steps
Rockwell Automation and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have outlined the following measures to reduce risk:
#### Immediate Actions
1. Upgrade Firmware: Replace 1756-RM2 and 1756-RM2XT modules with 1756-RM3, which addresses the vulnerability.
2. Network Segmentation: Isolate control system networks from business networks using firewalls and VLANs.
3. Restrict Access: Minimize exposure by ensuring control systems are not accessible from the internet.
4. Secure Remote Access: Use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) for remote access, ensuring they are updated to the latest version.
5. Monitor for Exploitation: Implement intrusion detection systems (IDS) to identify suspicious activity targeting ControlLogix modules.
#### Long-Term Strategies
- Defense-in-Depth: Adopt a layered security approach to protect industrial control systems. Refer to CISA’s [ICS Cybersecurity Best Practices](https://www.cisa.gov/ics) for guidance.
- Regular Audits: Conduct periodic security assessments to identify and remediate vulnerabilities in ICS environments.
- Incident Response: Develop and test incident response plans to ensure rapid recovery from cyber incidents.
---
Conclusion
The discovery of CVE-2025-14027 underscores the growing cybersecurity risks facing industrial control systems. As critical infrastructure becomes increasingly interconnected, vulnerabilities in foundational technologies like Rockwell Automation’s ControlLogix can have far-reaching consequences. Organizations must prioritize patching, network segmentation, and proactive monitoring to mitigate risks and safeguard operations.
While no active exploitation has been reported, the high severity of this flaw demands immediate action. By following Rockwell Automation’s mitigation guidelines and adopting CISA’s recommended practices, industries can reduce their exposure and enhance resilience against future threats.
---
References
[^1]: Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). "[ICS Advisory (ICSA-26-029-03)](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-26-029-03)". Retrieved 2025-01-24.
[^2]: Rockwell Automation. "[Security Advisory SD1769](https://www.rockwellautomation.com)". Retrieved 2025-01-24.
[^3]: National Vulnerability Database (NVD). "[CVE-2025-14027 Detail](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-14027)". Retrieved 2025-01-24.